Wool #1 By Hugh Howey Review

I purchased Wool on a whim.  I had read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline earlier in the year, and because I bought the book through Amazon, new Science Fiction suggestions began to appear whenever I signed in.  Wool was always displayed prominently.  The Omnibus had a 5 star rating, with over a thousand reviews, something astoundingly rare.  How could I not try book one?

I’m very glad I did.  The first Wool book feels like an excellent short story, or a fantastic preview of what’s to come.  It perfectly sets up the world in which you’re about to immerse yourself in, assuming you continue on with the series… which you will… because it’s impossible to stop reading this masterpiece.  

The story begins with Sheriff Holston investigating and coming to grips with the demise of his wife.  As we follow Holston, we’re introduced to the Silo, a post-apocalyptic underground shelter for the few remaining survivors of an unknown terrible event.  Although that setup should be enough to pique readers interest, it’s the characters you’ll be coming back for.

I sat in bed on a day off and finished Wool #1 in a about an hour.  It was a hell of an hour.  Although I had other things planned for the day, I couldn’t help but dive right in to Wool #2 after finishing.  Wool’s hooks were in me.

Although the characters are lifelike, and the setting intriguing, Wool may not have worked so well under a different author.  Hugh Howey is just excellent.  The prose is polished, and the pace is perfect.  You’ll feel like Wool was written by one of the all time great Science Fiction authors.  Because of this, Wool is destined to become a sci-fi classic.

In honor of the late, great, Ray Bradbury.  My copy is top left.

dustjacketlust:

It is with sadness that DJL hears of the death of Ray Bradbury at 91. Here’s some Fahrenheit 451 covers by way of an RIP.

(via honorthebookman)

Source: dustjacketlust

A Review of: The Mesmerist

Urban fantasy horror - three words that go so well together.  I’m a sucker for an adventure than can be both scary and action packed.  The Mesmerist, the first novel I’ve been turned on to through Tumblr, did not disappoint in this respect.

In The Mesmerist, Joseph D’Agnese creates a New York, circa 1979, in which there’s an underground movement of individuals with psychic powers.  These people are labeled “thinks”, and those without psychic abilities are “unthinks”.

Thinks come in a wide variety, some are good, some are evil, some can read minds, some can heal others, and some can suck the life out of a being.  Although their powers are strong, and can be damaging, the vast majority of the world is either ignorant to their existence, or skeptical to the validity of their powers.

One such skeptic is the protagonist of The Mesmerist - Todhunter Fisher.  Fisher, a young NYPD detective, gets sucked into this secret world when a series of murders is discovered by his task force.  A serial killer is on the loose in New York, choosing a new victim every eight days.  He’s particularly hard to find, as the deaths appear natural.  He’s able to kill without laying a finger on his victims, sucking the very life out of them.

Because the case requires a different kind of investigation, Fisher joins up with Ishmael Soul, an expert on Thinks who works for the FBI.  The two search for the serial killer, and also uncover a greater battle being waged, this between the unthinks and thinks.

Because of the structure, the setting (1970s New York), and the dynamic between Fisher and Soul, The Mesmerist can at times resemble a buddy cop movie.  That’s not a bad thing, it can be a lot of fun.  Soul is the oddball of the two, and he can come across as both funny and caring.  He’s a great character.  Fisher plays the straight-man, and reacts to events much in the same way the reader would.

The rest of the story is frightening at moments, but pure fun at others.  D’Agnese can paint a disgusting picture with his prose in one chapter, and then have you laughing wildly in the next.  The story actually reminded me quite a bit of Patient Zero, which again, is a huge compliment.  If you’re familiar with that book, you’ll absolutely love The Mesmerist.  But where Patient Zero tended to drag at points, The Mesmerist never lets up.

The Mesmerist is the quinessential page-turner.  Its prose is easily readable, yet has a flow to it that many other authors miss.  It’s expertly paced; you won’t want to put it down.  And you’ll be rewarded with a highly satisfying ending.  Most everything is tied up neatly, but you’ll find yourself wanting to read more about Detective Fisher and his adventures.  It takes a skilled author to leave you both satisfied and wanting more.  There’s a delicate balance at play.

I don’t exactly know what I was expecting when I began The Mesmerist a week ago.  I was simply excited to try a new book by an author I had never read.  What I got was far more than what I could have expected from The Mesmerist.  It was fun, rewarding, and well told.  Plainly put, it was very good.  

Because I’m a sucker for physical copies and awesome cover art, I’ll pateintly await a physical release.  But don’t wait to read the story.  Download a copy for your Kindle here.  For the enjoyment you’ll get out of the book, you can’t beat the price.